


hold you by the edges.

by redhoods



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-04
Updated: 2012-02-04
Packaged: 2017-10-30 13:55:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/332470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redhoods/pseuds/redhoods
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He finds Ray curled in the tub like it's a ranger grave. He calls Nate later that day when Ray is out getting groceries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	hold you by the edges.

Walt is one of those people that wakes up in slow stages. He's not like Brad who goes from asleep to alert in seconds. Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes it's a bad thing. When you're in the middle of a war? It's a bad thing. When you're at home and have nothing planned for the day, it's a good thing.

It has also proven to be a useful tool when it comes to sharing a bed with Ray Person.

Walt's beginning to think that Ray doesn't ever sleep, which he knows isn't a good thing, and some of things Ray says when he thinks Walt isn't listening is just reinforcement.

\--

_one._

\--

Walt falls asleep on his stomach, spread out across most of the bed with the sheet tucked around his hips and around Ray who proceeds to sprawl himself across Walt's back, despite the fact that the air conditioner in their apartment doesn't work and the heat in the room is reaching oppressive levels. Walt doesn't really mind though.

He figures it has only been a few hours when he's slowly pulled to consciousness by fingers tracing over his back, but he doesn't move, not wanting to interrupt what Ray is up to, less the other male stop.

"I'm glad you don't have any ink, Walt - " and for a minute, Walt thinks that Ray realizes he's awake " - because putting ink on this skin would be like a disgrace to fucking Apollo, who is clearly your father, because there is no way that you're that fucking sunshine-y without sunshine itself being one of your parents."

Ray's fingers trace along his spine and then over his ribs from the back and over his shoulder blades and it's sort of lolling Walt slowly back to sleep but he forces himself to stay awake like he did when they were in Iraq and it was his turn to watch.

His hand stops and splays over where Walt's heart is and Walt knows something important is about to come from Ray's lips and he just isn't sure what it is. "And your heart, this is going to be one of the gayest things I've said and that includes telling you to fuck me, but your heart is seriously so fucking pure and mine so fucking isn't and I don't know why you put up with me. LT says he knows why you do but the ivy league fucker won't spill the beans and Brad keeps giving me that look, like when he just knows shit. You know, 'there are people in the trees'."

Walt wants to sit up and tell Ray everything and take away the insecurity he has, but Walt knows that this really isn't for his ears even if it is directed at him, so he continues to feign sleep until he eventually does fall asleep to Ray still talking and Ray's fingers still gliding over his skin.

\--

_two._

\--

They have a habit of falling asleep all over their apartment. On the couch, the bed, the floor, just wherever they end up after what it is their doing during the day. This time they end up on the floor, Walt spread eagle on his back and Ray has his back tucked all the way against his side until their touching along the entire lengths of their bodies. The blanket that normal hangs off the back of the couch is thrown haphazardly across them, just taking off the chill from the ceiling fan that no one wants to move to get.

Walt isn't sure when they fell asleep - or, really, when he fell asleep - so he isn't sure how long it is before he starts to come to with Ray's fingers tracing over his forearm and he really can't hear what it is that Ray's saying, but it just sounds like he's saying the same thing over and over again. Like a mantra.

It takes a while before Walt finally understands what Ray's saying. 'It's going to be fine, Walt.' Just over and over. It reminds Walt of Iraq and the road block and putting a bullet through the driver's eye. Ray had said that to him before he started his report, while he was still in a semi catatonic state. Walt isn't sure why Ray is saying that though. Walt hasn't had any trouble with the incident since he and Ray moved in together and started actually sleeping together.

He continues to pretend he's asleep while turning himself onto his side to spoon himself against Ray's back, nuzzling his face into Ray's neck, but it doesn't stop Ray from repeating the statement even though he does stop while Walt gets comfortable, as if he thinks he might wake Walt up.

\--

_two point five._

\--

Walt wakes up alone on the floor, the blanket tucked around him, so he stands, keeping the blanket wrapped around him and checks the kitchen before going down the hall. There's no Ray in the kitchen or the bedroom, so he goes back to the living room and Ray's keys are still on the hook so he checks down the hall again. He finds Ray curled in the tub like it's a ranger grave. He calls Nate later that day when Ray is out getting groceries.

\--

_three._

\--

Waking up to Ray talking or just touching him hasn't become a nightly occurrence. Yet. Walt starts marking the days it does happen on his calendar and it averages about three times a week.

Walt falls asleep watching some movie on the couch, an arm tucked under his head and the other hanging off the front of the couch. Ray's out, figuring out what he needs to do to get the Marines to keep up their end of the deal about paying for his schooling. Ray's getting out, Walt figures that's a good thing though, even if he will miss Ray in the humvee with him.

He starts to come to when someone is shaking him and then hands are flying over his neck but he doesn't actually wake himself up, just says in the semiconscious state, listening to Ray chatter.

"Mother fucker, you had me scared," Ray isn't making any sense, well, less sense the usual but Walt still isn't sure what he's supposed to do in these situations so he doesn't do anything but let Ray press a hand to his heart and talk. Ray ends up waking him up with a sloppy blowjob anyways.

\--

_four._

\--

One night, Walt comes home from Nate's to find Ray asleep on the bed, still wet from a shower and a towel wrapped around his waist. Shaking his head and smiling a little to himself, Walt toes off his shoes and climbs up on the bed. Pressing his lips to the back of Ray's shoulder, he curls himself around the other male and lets his own eyes close. He wakes to Ray sliding out of his arms but doesn't dare crack an eye to see what it is Ray's up to.

He hears the squeak of Ray's dresser and things being shuffled around and the rustle of fabric, before the bed is dipping again and Ray insinuates himself back into Walt's arm, this time so they're facing each other though. It's hard not to react when Ray's fingers trace over his eyes and face, but Walt manages not to by some miracle.

It's almost as if Ray doesn't think he's real and just has to touch him to make sure he's real and tangible and there. Walt's not sure what to do to convince Ray that he's not going anywhere.

\--

_four point five._

\--

Walt wakes up alone and without the button up or slacks that he had fallen asleep in originally. He wanders out of the room, covering his mouth with one hand as he yawns and sliding the other over his chest, absently scratching at the skin as he steps into the kitchen. Ray is bent over the counter, his arms cross on top of it and his head pillowed on his arms, sound asleep. Shaking his head, Walt goes and slides an arm around Ray's middle, guiding the other male into the couch, carefully depositing him across it. He presses his lips lightly to Ray's forehead and tugs a blanket over him.

\--

_five._

\--

"I know you can't hear me or anything, Walt, but I talked to the LT and, uh, well, I'm going to get help."

**Author's Note:**

> you were always weird but i never had to hold you by the edges. start a war - the national.


End file.
